Jorel woke to the soft light of dawn filtering through the narrow windows of his dormitory. His mind was still buzzing from the previous night's revelations. The weight of everything Serik had told him—the complexities of pain magic, the hidden dangers around E&R, and the looming trials—pressed heavily on him. But for now, there was one small comfort: he wasn't alone in this.
After dressing, Jorel made his way to the dining hall where Ryen and Jain were already seated. The atmosphere in the Raven House dining hall was subdued compared to the chaos of the previous days, a rare moment of calm before the storm of the day's lessons began.
"Morning," Jorel greeted as he sat down, grabbing a piece of bread from the table. He noticed Jain's thoughtful expression, her gaze distant as she absentmindedly poked at her food. Ryen, on the other hand, was already halfway through his breakfast, seemingly unaffected by the tension that still hung in the air.
"Morning, Jorel," Ryen said between bites. "You look like you didn't sleep much. Everything alright?"
Jorel nodded, though his thoughts were elsewhere. "Yeah, I just had a lot on my mind after last night."
Jain looked up at that, curiosity flickering in her eyes. "After the fight?"
Jorel hesitated for a moment, then decided to share some of what he had learned. "Serik woke me up in the middle of the night. He's my mentor according to both Serina and himself." Ryen's eyes go wide as he nods remembering their first conversation with Serina when they had arrived in Raven House.
Jorel nodded back before continuing, " He took me on a tour of the campus—showed me some of the more… interesting places around here."
Jain raised an eyebrow. "Interesting?"
"Yeah, like the Hall of Rituals and the Ward," Jorel explained. "But more than that, he talked about the staff, the trials, and how the school is designed to push us to our limits—physically, mentally, and emotionally."
Ryen leaned forward, his interest piqued. "What did he say about the staff?"
"Jorgan Allen is as strict as they come, but fair," Jorel began, recalling Serik's words. "Kilbe's someone to be careful around—he's strict to the point of cruelty. Raven Chen is our entry level dean and she administers our exam to move on to higher levels of pain magic so we need to get on her good side. And the Trioge twins… they're not to be messed with. They specialize in spiritual pain magic and apparently, they're involved in some of the darker experiments here."
Jain's expression darkened at that. "The Trioge twins… I've heard rumors about them. If even half of what I've heard is true, we need to stay as far away from them as possible."
Ryen whistled lowly. "This place just keeps getting better and better, huh?"
Jorel nodded, then turned his attention to Jain. "Speaking of which, there's something I've been meaning to ask you. During the trials… you were able to use pain magic, and pretty effectively too. How did you learn it? We haven't even been taught the basics yet."
Jain hesitated, her fork pausing midway to her mouth. She seemed to be weighing her words carefully, as if deciding how much to reveal. Finally, she set her fork down and looked at them both.
"My family… they have a long history with E&R University," Jain began, her voice measured. "For generations, we've sent our children here to learn pain magic and we are a noble family so our reputation in here affects our families reputation on the outside. So, we don't wait for the academy to teach us. The training starts early, long before we ever set foot in this place."
Jorel and Ryen exchanged glances, both of them surprised by the revelation. Jain's words carried a weight of experience that neither of them had, a reminder that not all students came to E&R on equal footing.
"My family believes that if you're going to survive here, you need every advantage you can get," Jain continued. "The training is… intense. Painful. But it's designed to prepare us for what we'll face at this school. I was taught how to channel pain, how to use it, and how to control it. Other noble families do the same, especially those with a history here."
Ryen frowned, his brow furrowing in thought. "So, there are students here who've been training for this their whole lives?"
Jain nodded. "Yes. And not just training—conditioning. We're taught to endure, to push through pain, and to use it as a weapon. It's why some of us are able to use pain magic so early. For me, it's survival. For others, it's about power."
Jorel took a moment to process what Jain had said. It made sense now why she had been so skilled during the trials, why she seemed to carry herself with such quiet confidence. But it also made him wonder about the other students—those who, like Jain, had been trained from a young age, and those who might see him as weak because he hadn't.
"It must have been tough," Jorel said, his voice soft with understanding.
Jain's eyes flickered with a brief hint of vulnerability before she quickly masked it. "It was. But it's the only way to survive in my family."
The table fell into a thoughtful silence, each of them lost in their own thoughts. The more they learned about E&R , the more complex and dangerous it seemed. But at the same time, it made them more determined to succeed, to prove that they could rise to the challenges ahead.
Their introspection was interrupted as the doors to the dining hall swung open, and a group of older students strode in, their presence immediately commanding attention. Among them was a tall, preppy-looking student with an air of arrogance that was impossible to ignore.
"That's Drain VanHeart," Jain whispered, her tone laced with disdain. "He's from one of the most powerful noble families in the country. They're known for being one of the few physical pain magic families that are equal with emotional ones, but they're also known for being the most ruthless."
Jorel watched as Drain made his way to a table, flanked by a group of sycophantic followers who hung on his every word. There was something about him that set Jorel on edge, a sense of entitlement that made his skin crawl.
Ryen leaned closer, his voice low. "He doesn't seem like the type to play fair."
"He's not," Jain confirmed. "He's been trained just like I was, but with one difference—his family taught him that he's superior to everyone else. And he believes it."
As if on cue, Drain's gaze swept across the dining hall, landing on Jorel's table. A smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth, and he whispered something to one of his companions, who laughed in response.
"Looks like we've caught his attention," Ryen muttered, his eyes narrowing.
Jorel didn't respond, but he could feel the tension building. He knew that someone like Drain wouldn't let an opportunity pass to assert his dominance, especially over someone like Jorel, who was still finding his footing in Raven House.
Breakfast ended, and the students made their way to their first class of the day. Jorel, Ryen, and Jain walked together, their earlier conversation lingering in the back of their minds. The classroom was filled with a mix of new and returning students, all of them eager to learn—or in some cases, to show off.
The instructor, a stern-looking woman with sharp features, began the lesson on pain magic theory. For many of the students, this was their first formal introduction to the subject, and there was a palpable sense of anticipation in the room.
As the instructor spoke, Jorel did his best to absorb the information. The theory behind pain magic was complex, involving the manipulation of both physical and emotional states to create tangible effects. But as he listened, he couldn't shake the feeling that something was off.